thomas



T. THOMAS.

Grain Drill.

No. 43,721. Patented Aug. 2,1864.

Witnesses. www Inventor. k MMM/W www,

AMPHOTQ-LITHO. C0. NH. (BSBORNE'S PROCESS.)

the wheels covering the same.

NITED STATES dPrrrniwr @prima THOS. THOMAS, OF PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA.

COMBINED SEEDER AND CULTIVATO;

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. L13,*72l, dated August 2, IBG-l.

To all trhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS THOMAS, of Plattsmouth, in the county of Cass, in the lerritoryv ot' Nebraska, have invented a new and usei'ul machine which is convertible into acornplanter, a corn-cultivator, a wheat-drill and roller, and a .broadcastsower; and the following` is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part ot` this specification, inwhich- Figure 'l represents a plan or top view of the machine, with both ofthe extending-wings attached for broadcast sowing'or for drilling in wheat twelve or sixteen feet in width or for planting four rows of corn. Fig. 2 shows a side View or elevation of the central partof the machine, with the plow-'points adjusted for cultivating corn or other plants in rows or hills. Fig. 3 shows a front end view ofthe machine, the cylinder which forms the roller between the wheels being removed, and the central part being properly adjusted for planting two rows of corn or drilling in two rows of any kind ot' seed,

Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section of the central part ofthe hopper or grain-receiver cut through the center, showing-thevertical pins and holes in the slide and the mode of admitting the seed into the tubes for drilling in or .scattering it broadcast when the tubes are removed. Fig. 5 shows a detached view ofthe rock-shaft and vibrating fork for cleaning out and straightening up young plants in cultivating.

llhe object ot' my lnvention is to furnish corn and wheat growers in prairie sections, and especially far west, with a universal convertible agricultural implement, one that can be so changed by putting on or taking oft' the several parts that it will serve the purpose ot' at least halt' a dozen distinct or separate implements or machines. l

4My invention consists in the construction and arrangement ot' the frame for attaching and mounting and so adjusting the several parts that it is easily convertible into a corn planter and cultivatoror a wheatdrilland roller, and also a broadcast-so wer, (from eightto twenty-four feet spread,) as maybe desired.

My invention also consists in the arrangment ot' the cross-bars over the slide in the hopper directly over the holes in the bottom, where the tubes are attached for planting corn or it more fully,

drilling in wheat, so that the quantity of seed to be deposited is regulated by changing the screw or pin which connects the coupling-rod to the crank, thereby giving it more or less y range of vibration, as also the series of vertical pins contiguous to the holes in the slide to keep the grain stirred up, land the mode of attaching or coupling o n to one or both sides ot" the machine an extended hopper and series ot' drills, or for sowing a wide range and operatingthe same by theonecrank-connection5 and, furthermore,

ot' the drills and guiding the side movement ot' the machine in cultivating corn or other plants (should the rows or hills be crooked or zigzag) by'the tongue or pole extending back to the driver-s seat and secured by a spring clamp or catch to a movable standard sliding on a rod in the arcof acircle, and likewise thechangin g of the position ot' the shovel points or blades` on the tubes to ei'ect the various purposesot agriculture for which they may be applied, and the vibratingfork for cleaning out and straightening up the plants. v

To enable others skilled in the art to make, change, and use my invention, I will describe referring to the drawings and the letters marked thereon.

The letters indicate the same parts in the several gures.

l make my frame A A of iron bars, bent round and secured together, and of such form as to conveniently attach the several parts in theirproper places. At the lowest portion is secured the shaft a, on which the wheels B B are made to run. Between the wheels B B, which have each a circular recess around the rim near the periphery, is .fitted a metallic cylinder, C, which forms a roller as wide as the central portion of the machine, to be used for the various purposes ot' rolling. The shaft c et is secured to the frame by a pivoted hook', b b, entering a hole in the ends ot' the shaft, so that it can be easily taken out of its place, one of the wheels B taken oft', and the drum or Acylinder G removed, leaving nothing but the two Wheels to press upon the soil when being used for a corn planter or cultivator. The portion ot' the frame A A that extends back-of the roller is elevated at an angle ot' about thirty degrees. The top which extends across in the ,rear forms the support for the driver-s seat D, and a brace-bar, E, extending the mode of adjusting the depth across below, supports the foot-stool F. The forward portion ot' the frame A A is secured to the rea-r portion near the shaft a, andY is inclined upward at an angle of about twenty degrees. This part of the frame supports the hopper or trough G, in which the grain is put to be planted or sown. To a cross-beam, g, which is tirmly secured to the frame A A', the tubes c c c e are fastened by screw-bolts, so that they can easily be put on for planting or drilling, and as easily taken off when the machine is used for broadcast-sowing. The tubes c e ce, which also form the stocks to secure the shovel-points c c c c to when the machine is used for cultivating, are supported by braces 'L' z' it' to the frame A A. The vibrating fork Il is secured by a set-screw, 7L, so that its height may beadjusted by the shank fitting into a moitise through the rock-shaft I, and it is operated by the connecting-rod d being coupled to the crank k, the same being put in motion by the pinion l on the crank-shaft J, driven by a .gear-wheel attached to the wheel B. More orless motion may be given to thet'ork H by the distance the connecting-rod d. is attached from the center of the crank-shaft.

When the machine is used for planting in hills the dropping ofthe seed may be done at any desired distance apart by attaching the connecting-rod el to the hand-leverf, which may be placed either at the right or left hand end ofthe hopper G on thepin f', to he operated by the hand ot' the driver or a boy sitting on the elevated seat L over the center of the hopper, the one connecting-rod al serving the threefold purpose ot' dropping by hand, sowing in drills or broadcast, and vibrating the fork, and the motion in each operation regulated by the position in which the connectingscrew o is placed.

In the bottom of the hopper G is fitted a slide, m, it having a series ot holes, u n n, through it, two of them being placed so as to alternately deposit the seed into one ot' the tubes c e by passing under a iiat cross-bar, p,k

which should be about three times the width of the holes n n and placed directly over the holes in the frame g and the tubes e c e e, so that the slide in its vibrating motion takes the quantity of seed into the holes n u, carries-it under the bar p, and liberates it through the orifice g. The vertical pins r r r r i" in the slide m are for the purpose of keeping the seed loosely in the hopper. The tongue or pole K, to'which the team is attached, is secured to the front end ot' the frame A by a loop or strap, M, and bolt N, the loop forming'the support for the double-tree to work in, the pole extending back over the hopper and roller, so as to be in a convenient position for the driver to control the action ot' the machine either up or down or sidewise. The depth `of the drills or the cultivating-blades is determined and secured by the spring-catch s and the notches t t t t on the vertical rod Q, which is made and secured to a circular bar, VR, in such manner as to allowthe rear end of the pole Kto be moved either right or left the whole width ot' the central part ot' the machine.

When desirable for planting more than two rows ot' corn,or drilling or sowing a wide land, wings with additional hoppers, U U, may be attached to the frame or central bar, g, the ends being supported on additional wheels, W W, and the win gs supported by forward braces, V V, bolted to the center ot' the frame A.

The plow-points directly in front ot' the .wheels serve to level the way for the implement to run smoothly. In cultivating corn the two plow-points X X in the center are placed to clean the extraneous matter away from the plants. The next two points,Z Z, are reversed and cut a little deeper and throw the soil inward toward the plants, while the fork,

being in motion, uncovers or draws out the leaves.

Thus it will be seen that a machine constructed as above described can readily be changed or converted into all ot' the implements necessary for planting and cultivating corn, drilling in or broadcast-so wing wheat or other grain or seed, rolling and leveling the surface, it being a universal agricultural implement for grain-growers.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The construction and arrangement of the frame and the mode of attaching and detaching the several parts so that it is convertible into a corn planter and cultivator, a wheatdrill and roller, or a broadcast-sewer.

2. The cross-bar p p in the hopper over the holes in the bottom ot' the same, in combination with the holes u n and the vertical pins r 1 in the slide, and the manner of regulating the quantity of seed to be sown by changing the crank screw or pin o, in the manner herein described.

3. The vibrating fork H, arranged and operating in the manner as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The mode of' attaching the draft-pole to the machine so that the depth ot' planting or drilling in the seed and the position sidewise may be controlled by the driver in his seat.

vllElOMAiS THOMAS.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, J. B. WOODRUFF. 

